Is it Summer Yet?

It’s mid-March in the Midwest. It’s cold out; and it’s been so cold for so long that my bones feel cold. I try to boycott winter; going coatless on sunny days or taking long walks despite the bitter wind. The memory of summer keeps me from up-and-moving nearer to the equator.

On a day like this, I consider what it’s like to wear sandals and thin skirts, sunscreen and hats that are more for shade and fashion than retaining body heat. Thinking about last summer, a favorite memory popped into my head. My son, an adolescent artist, had asked me to come outside and draw with him in his little pop-up tent. “Heck yes!” I replied.

The tent was so small that I had to sit only partly inside, with my head ducked down. It was on the grass, under the shade of a tree. It was windy that day; but not so windy as to make it a hassle to draw en plein air. I had my sketchbook and a brand new set of colored pencils. My little guy sat next to me and went to town with his own drawings. But what did I want to draw? I began with a dot.

A day or so before this pleasant afternoon, I had heard news that a dear relative had passes away. Spending this time in the tent, half inside and half in the spotted shade from the tree, choosing colors and drawing freely, was therapeutic. I ended up sitting there long after my son had finished and moved on to play elsewhere. Thank goodness for art as a way of expressing emotions.

Before too long we’ll all be able to enjoy summer again, and doing things like sitting under a tree and drawing, as the sun itself draws its own shadows across the day. (Oh, and it’s not that I hate winter–I just love summer.) 🙂

About Cherie Dawn Haas, Senior Online Editor

Former Senior Online Editor for ArtistsNetwork and ClothPaperScissors.com. Author of the novel "Girl on Fire." I'm passionate about the arts and thrive on connecting artists with resources that inform and inspire.

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